MMORPG Player actions: Network performance, session patterns and latency requirements analysis

Providing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) is a big challenge for future mobile, IP-based networks. Understanding how the players’ actions affect the network parameters, the game platform, and the overall perceived quality is highly relevant for the purposes of game design, as well as for the networking infrastructure and network support for games. We break player actions down into discrete categories, and show that each category is distinct in terms of several key metrics. We discuss which categories of actions could be supported on current mobile devices, and present evidence in form of a user survey demonstrating the demand for such services. The starting points into the discussion include the networking, session and latency requirements for particular player actions on one side, and the players’ interest on the other. The Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft (WoW) is used as a case study.     

Characterization of high molecular weight coffee fractions and their fermentation by human intestinal microbiota

To investigate the structure and fermentability of high M(r) components of coffee brews by human gut bacteria Arabica coffee samples of three different degrees of roast (light, medium, and dark) were used for drip brew preparations and fractionation by ultrafiltration with different M(r) cut-offs. Total carbohydrates of the fractions ranged from 28.6 g/100 g to 56.7 g/100 g. Galactomannans and arabinogalactans were the main polysaccharides and made up between one-fourth and one-half of the respective coffee fraction. After 24 h of incubation with a human fecal suspension the polysaccharides of all fractions were extensively degraded. A decrease in the absorbance values at 405 and 280 nm, respectively, indicated that also chemically noncharacterized UV-active components such as Maillard reaction products, had been partially degraded or modified by the human gut bacteria. The remainder after 24 h of fermentation still showed antioxidant activity. Bacterial cells belonging to the Bacteroides-Prevotella group increased 2- to 40-fold during fermentation depending on the M(r) range of the fraction and the degree of roast. The production of high amounts of acetate and propionate is in accordance with a role of these bacteria in the degradation of high M(r) components from coffee.     

Endwall convective heat transfer for bluff bodies

The endwall heat transfer characteristics of forced flow past bluff bodies have been investigated using liquid crystal thermography (LCT). The bluff body is placed in a rectangular channel with both its ends attached to the endwalls. The Reynolds number varies from 50,000 to 100,000. In this study, a single bluff body and two bluff bodies arranged in tandem are considered. Due to the formation of horseshoe vortices, the heat transfer is enhanced appreciably for both cases. However, for the case of two bluff bodies in tandem, it is found that the presence of the second bluff body decreases the heat transfer as compared to the case of a single bluff body. In addition, the results show that the heat transfer exhibits Reynolds number similarity. For a single bluff body, the Nusselt number profiles collapse well when the data are scaled by Re^0.55; for two bluff bodies arranged in tandem, the heat transfer scaling is changed to Re^0.51, indicating that the power index of Reynolds number is flow dependent.     

Development of benzophenone-based farnesyltransferase inhibitors as novel antimalarials

The development of farnesyltransferase inhibitors directed against Plasmodium falciparum is a strategy towards new drugs against malaria. Previously, we described benzophenone-based farnesyltransferase inhibitors with high in vitro antimalarial activity but no in vivo activity. Through the introduction of a methylpiperazinyl moiety, farnesyltransferase inhibitors with in vivo antimalarial activity were obtained. Subsequently, a structure-based design approach was chosen to further improve the antimalarial activity of this type of inhibitor. As no crystal structure of the farnesyltransferase of the target organism is available, homology modeling was used to reveal differences between the active sites of the rat/human and the P. falciparum farnesyltransferase. Based on flexible docking data, the piperazinyl moiety was replaced by a N,N,N'-trimethylethylenediamine moiety. This resulted in an inhibitor with significantly improved in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity. Furthermore, this inhibitor displayed a notable increase in selectivity towards malaria parasites relative to human cells.     

Modeling the temperature in coal char particle during fluidized bed combustion

The temperatures of a coal char particle in hot bubbling fluidized bed (FB) were analyzed by a model of combustion. The unsteady model includes phenomena of heat and mass transfer through a porous char particle, as well as heterogeneous reaction at the interior char surface and homogeneous reaction in the pores. The parametric analysis of the model has shown that above 550 °C combustion occurs under the regime limited by diffusion. The experimental results of temperature measurements by thermocouple in the particle center during FB combustion at temperatures in the range 590-710 °C were compared with the model predictions. Two coals of different rank were used: lignite and brown coal, with particle size in the range 5-10 mm. The comparisons have shown that the model can adequately predict the histories of temperatures in char particles during combustion in FB. In the first order, the model predicts the influence of the particle size, coal rank (via porosity), and oxygen concentration in its surroundings.     

Isolation and identification of a ferulic acid dehydrotrimer from saponified maize bran insoluble fiber

Following saponification of maize bran insoluble fiber a ferulic acid dehydrotrimer was isolated using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. Structural identification was carried out using UV-spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR experiments ( ¹H, ¹³C, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, ¹³C- ¹H HSQC, HMBC). UV-spectroscopy indicated characteristics of ferulate structures, mass spectrometry showed a trimeric ferulate structure, and the NMR spectra provided diagnostic evidence for its being a 5-5/8-O-4-coupled dehydrotrimer. Ferulic acid dehydrodimers are mainly derived from diferulates which cross-link polysaccharides. Because of the involvement of a 5-5-dehydrodiferulic acid unit in the identified trimer, this novel dehydrotriferulic acid from cereal grain fiber need not imply the cross-linking of three polysaccharide chains; molecular modeling of the ferulate dehydrodimerization in earlier studies showed that the 5-5-diferulate, uniquely, can form intramolecularly. This first identified ferulic acid dehydrotrimer nevertheless reveals that polysaccharide chains can be more extensively cross-linked than previously recognized.     

Purification and characterization of natural Bet v 1 from birch pollen and related allergens from carrot and celery

Birch pollen allergy is predominantly caused by the major allergen Bet v 1 and can lead to crossreactions with homologous proteins in food. Two major cross-reactive food allergens are Dau c 1 from carrot and Api g 1 from celery, which have never been purified from their natural source. Here, we describe a non-denaturing purification method for obtaining natural Bet v 1, Dau c 1 and Api g 1, comprising of ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. This method resulted in 98-99% pure isoform mixtures for each allergen. Characterization of these isoform mixtures with Q-TOF MS/MS clearly showed earlier reported isoforms of Bet v 1, Dau c 1 and Api g 1, but also new isoforms. The presence of secondary structure in the three purified allergens was demonstrated via circular dichroism and showed high similarity. The immune reactivity of the natural allergens was compared with recombinant proteins by Western blot and ELISA and showed similar reactivity.     

Consolidation and mechanical properties of reactive nanocomposite powders

Reactive nanocomposite powders with bulk compositions of 8Al·MoO₃, 12Al·MoO₃, and 8Al·3CuO were prepared by arrested reactive milling (ARM) and consolidated into cylindrical and rectangular pellets using a uniaxial die. Pellets were pressed at room temperature without any binder. Reference pellets were prepared from conventional Al powder and from Al-metal oxide powder blends with bulk compositions identical to those of the nanocomposite powders. Materials could be consolidated to densities greater than 90% of the theoretical maximum density while maintaining their high reactivity. Tensile strength and flexural strength of the consolidated materials were measured using diametrical compression and three-point flexural strength tests, respectively. Higher strengths were observed for higher relative densities, and the strength of the composite materials was comparable to that of consolidated aluminum powders. Yield strength of the reactive nanocomposite powders was determined from compaction load vs. die displacement curves using the Heckel equation. It was greater for the nanocomposite powders as compared to the powder blends or pure aluminum. Organic, or low melting point metal binders were added to selected samples to improve strength. Respective pellets were pressed at temperatures above the melting point of the metal binder. The highest density (~ 2.9 g/cm³) and tensile strength (~ 17.5 MPa) was observed with indium as binder. All consolidated samples were found to be highly reactive, and the effect of partial reaction during consolidation remained below the limit quantifiable by differential scanning calorimetry.     

Characterization of hello message exchange to estimate sensor node's neighborhood residual energy distribution in initialization phase

The paper characterizes the hello message exchange (HME) procedure for a sensor node to develop its neighborhood residual energy distribution in the initialization phase of a static wireless sensor network. Because of the lack of coordination on channel access in the initialization phase, hello messages from multiple nodes face a high risk of data collision in the exchange course. A discovery ratio is hereby defined to measure the sufficiency of the HME procedure. The discovery ratio is related to the precision of the parameter estimates for the probability density function of a node's neighborhood residual energy distribution. To achieve an arbitrarily high discovery ratio within a resolvable time interval, the HME procedure is implemented using Birthday protocol, which results in large node energy consumption. To overcome this flaw, a method termed carrier sensing mini‐slot algorithm is proposed to carry out the HME procedure. The time duration and the node energy consumption for the HME procedures based on the Birthday protocol and the carrier sensing mini‐slot algorithm, respectively, are theoretically analyzed and verified by simulations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.